Holiday Recipes

Homemade Natural Hot Chocolate Mix

Courtesy of www.wholefoodsmarket.com  

Vanilla Sugar

2 cups organic unbleached raw cane sugar, (such as Florida Crystals or Sucanat)

1 whole vanilla bean, cut up into small pieces  

Combine the sugar with the vanilla bean in a food processor or a blender. Process until the vanilla bean is completely minced. Strain sugar into a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in a cool dry place.   .

Mix #1

Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa Mix

1 cup organic dry powdered milk

1/4 cup good quality organic cocoa powder 1/2 cup vanilla sugar

Pinch of sea salt  

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To make hot cocoa, stir one cup boiling water into 1/4 cup mix.  

Mix #2

Spiced Organic Hot Cocoa Mix

 1 recipe Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa Mix 1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt  

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To make hot cocoa, stir one cup boiling water into 1/4 cup mix.

 Apple Pear and Ginger Juice

Courtesy of www.susuorganic.co.uk

Ingredients:

1 Apple

1 Pear

1 small cube of fresh ginger

Preparation:

Wash the fruit and cut into small chunks (no need to peel or core) to fit into the juice machine feeder Juice the fruit and ginger pieces Pour into a glass and drink.

Spiced Pecans

Courtesy of www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Vegan Parties, holidays, just about any time is right for this sinfully seductive snack. Perfect for tossing into green salads or grain dishes.

Makes 3–4 cups  

3 cups pecans

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cardamom  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pecans in a large bowl and mix in maple syrup until well coated. Add spices and continue mixing until they are evenly distributed. Cover a metal cookie sheet with multiple layers of tin foil to completely protect baking sheet. Evenly distribute pecans in a single layer on top of the baking sheet. Bake 10–15 minutes, flipping nuts every 5 minutes, until toasted and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Cool just long enough to handle and spoon pecans into a large clean bowl. It is very important to remove the pecans from the foil covered baking pan as soon as possible to avoid the nuts from bonding to each other or to the foil. After complete cooling, store in an airtight container.

Baked Eggplant with Nutty Bulgur Stuffing

Courtesy of www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Dairy-Free, Vegan

Serves 4

4 medium eggplants, each cut in half lengthwise

3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided

1 small burdock, unpeeled and minced

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 carrot, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1 cup bulgur

1 3/4 cups boiling water

1 to 2 tablespoons tamari, or to taste ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs

Preheat over to 400°F. Score cut side of eggplant in half by making 4 crosswise cuts. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper that has been coated with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Place eggplant halves cut side down on sheet. Bake at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove pulp, leaving a 1/3-inch-thick shell. Chop pulp. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Warm the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in large skillet. Add burdock and sauté until golden. Add onion and sauté until transparent. Add carrot and celery and sauté until slightly tender. Add bulgur and sauté with vegetables until lightly toasted. Add boiling water and season with tamari and black pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 15–20 minutes. Add pecans and eggplant pulp. Stuff each eggplant shell with eggplant mixture and sprinkle the tops of each with breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and lightly browned. Nutrition Info Per Serving (11 oz.): 190 calories (45 calories from fat), 5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 4g dietary fiber, 6g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium

For more all natural holiday recipes visit www.wholefoods.com/holidays/recipes   

The following recipes are courtesy of Mom's Organic House

Cocoa Butter Skin Moisturizer

Ingredients:

1/2 c Cocoa Butter

2 T Beeswax (grated)

2 tsp. Distilled Water

3 T Sesame Oil

2 T Coconut Oil

1 T Olive Oil  

Preparation:

Combine beeswax with water and melt over low heat Add cocoa butter and blend. Gradually add coconut, sesame and olive oil. Pour into a glass jar, the mix will thicken as it cools down. Apply on the body.

Homemade Moisturizer for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin

Ingredients:

1 medium apple, grated

5 T Honey  

Preparation:

Mix apple and honey. Smooth over skin. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Wash off with cool water.  

Simple kiwi skin firmer  

Kiwi is very similar to lemon in that it contains Vitamin C. It improves the overall look of the skin and makes it elastic.

1 ripe kiwi (peeled)

1 teaspoon of honey

Mix the kiwi in a blender or mash with a fork if it is soft Strain the excess liquid (juice) and add he teaspoon of honey Apply the mass on the face and leave on for 20 minutes Rinse off with warm water

Olive oil for shiny hair

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1 egg

 Mix the two and apply on hair. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and wash off using warm water, then shampoo.

Hair pack for damaged hair

Juice from freshly squeezed lemon

2 egg yolks

1 egg white

1 tablespoon of honey.

Mix all the ingredients, apply on hair and let it rest for 10 minutes. After that, shampoo and rinse off.